Lefteris: Maker of Tomorrow

17-year old MakerLab Elite Team member Lefteris Chalvantzis is busy building robots - and has big plans for his future. We had a chat with him about what life is like when you are busy training for international competitions. 

MakerLab Elite Team member Lefteris Chalvantzis

Hi Lefteris, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you first joined MakerLab? 

I joined MakerLab at the age of 9. I remember watching a documentary about engineers who designed parts for airplanes using 3D printing with my father. It got me hooked almost immediately, and when I told my father that this was something I wanted to learn more about, he signed me up for training at MakerLab.

I started off with participating in Lego robotics programs, which introduced me to basic programming concepts in a fun and playful way. It was in Agrinio, which was the only MakerLab branch that existed back then, and the one I still belong to. 

What’s your current weekly training routine like? And how do you manage your Elite training alongside school and other activities? 

I spend at least 12 hours weekly on my Elite training, which is a mix between online studies and being physically in the lab. I am balancing this with my high school studies as well as track and field. It can be a tough schedule, but it helps that I like what I am doing - it is something I really believe in. Currently it is all about robotics and AI, but previously I also focused a lot on programming

Can you tell us a bit about how the Elite Team works together? How would you describe the atmosphere within the group? 

We are four members on the robotics track of the Elite team in the Agrinio branch. We know each other inside-out, and are a solid bunch who get along really well. It is sometimes hard, especially when we prepare for competitions, but it helps that we have a clear work structure and a lot of mutual respect for each other.

We divide up the tasks between us based on who is best at, or has the biggest interest in, any given part of the assignment.

My job is usually 3D design while my team members take care of other tasks such as coding and programming. 

Can you share a favorite memory with us - something like a breakthrough moment, a tough challenge you overcame?

It would probably have to be when our team built a robot in just one and a half months last year for the RoboCup competition, without having the usual months and months to prepare.

You see, Greece did not have the qualifications the previous year, so we only learned at the last minute that we had been accepted to compete, which suddenly made everyone super stressed, as you can probably imagine! We did not rank high in the competition itself, but we were still incredibly proud of having made it there at all, on what is perhaps the shortest notice in the history of robotics competitions ever.  

RoboCup is by far the most exciting competition to participate in. It is simply a notch above all the others, and I am super excited about doing it all again in Brazil next month

- this time we are showing up much better prepared, and with a more solid plan to follow. 

How is training for competitions different from your usual training sessions? 

I think the difference between regular training and competition training is that competition training involves more independent research and preparation, including getting familiar with the competition regulations and coming up with a specific project plan, while regular training follows a structured, but much more relaxed, weekly schedule focused on building foundational knowledge.

What’s one skill (technical or personal) - that you’ve really worked hard to develop? 

3D design, particularly in relation to my work on a robot for RoboCup. I learned the basics at MakerLab and combined it with additional research and practice at home before designing the robot. I like 3D design because of the creative dimension of it, and because it can help make the hardware aspect of robots more advanced, which in turn makes it easier for others to code them.

What motivates you to keep going, especially when things get difficult or repetitive? 

It helps me push through hard phases when I think of all the time, all the hours and years, I have already invested in this. If I stop when things get hard, all that time and effort would be wasted. By now, I also have the experience that tells me it is going to pass if I trust the process, put in the work and move forward. Coincidentally, this is exactly what we learn in the lab - to take a problem, break it down into smaller and more manageable sections, and then find solutions to them one by one. It is a wider philosophy that applies to all aspects of life; we are not just learning to code, program or build robots, we are actually learning to solve problems.

It helps me push through hard phases when I think of all the time, all the hours and years, I have already invested in this. If I stop when things get hard, all that time and effort would be wasted.

You are graduating from high school in 2026 - what’s next for you? 

I am planning to get a degree in mechanical engineering, a field I find extremely intriguing. I am interested in lattice structures and metamaterials, and the ultimate goal would be to work in a field related to these topics, for example in motorsport like Formula One. 

I actually designed a MacPherson-style suspension system for the RoboCup Rescue Maze competition to improve how the robot handled uneven terrain and speed bumps. After one failed prototype, I redesigned the suspension in CAD, inspired by the MacPherson strut used in real vehicles, and printed the updated parts. Once we installed it, the difference was clear: the suspension absorbed shocks effectively so the robot could move through obstacles with much better control. 

It is stuff like that which excites me, and one of the reasons I’d love to work in a field like F1 where every detail matters.

In F1, engineers are always trying to make things lighter, stronger, and cooler by pushing everything to the limit. It’s the perfect place to apply creative design, meta materials, and engineering skills all at once, and that’s exactly what I want to do.

How has being part of MakerLab helped you on your way? 

Well, most of what I know, I have learned at MakerLab. They taught me coding, programming, robotics, and introduced me to advanced math. Most importantly, I think, is how they focus on teaching me critical thinking skills, and hammer into me the importance of experimenting with everything to draw my own conclusions. My long-term mentor at MakerLab is an excellent teacher who encourages independent research and self-improvement. 

What advice would you give to younger students?

I would tell younger students to be persistent, work hard, and focus on developing their problem-solving skills. Robotics, AI, and programming - nobody is obligated to learn any of all that, but those who do will have core skills that they can apply to just about any field in the future job market. The rapid evolution of AI on an industrial scale that is currently happening means that everything in the future will be all about automation and robotics. Just see how they are currently training robots to do things like picking strawberries!